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When backpacking as a vegetarian, it can sometimes be hard to find food to pack that is both light and full of calories. Many websites suggest bulking up on meats as a way to supply yourself with plenty of energy and nutrients, but there are many other foods that can provide the needed nutrients for the duration of your hike, which are perfect for vegetarians.

So, what vegetarian food is best for you to take on your backpacking trip? There are many different options for vegetarians when choosing what food to pack. There are store-bought options, homemade recipes, and great snacks to keep you energized on the trail. In this article, we’ll go over all of those different options and more.

Let’s dive into some of those different options and where we can go to find them!

Store-Bought

The first category of vegetarian food options that we’ll go over is store-bought food. There are so many stores and online companies that sell delicious and quick vegetarian meals specifically for camping and backpacking. One company that has many great options is Food for the Sole. Following are some of their top-selling meals.

Ratatouille with Nutty Quinoa Pilaf

$12.00
Calories 128/oz.
Net Weight 4.3 oz.
Protein 17 g. (full-sized)

This limited-time meal packs a lot of punch in a small pouch. It includes the following delicious ingredients: bell peppers, zucchini, onions, quinoa, eggplant, tomatoes, olive oil, basil, garlic, salt, bay leaf, and black pepper. Buy this delicious meal here!

Garlic Green Bean and Cashew Stir-Fry

$5.95 lunch-size
$11.00 full-size
Calories 143 oz.
Net Weight 3.7 oz.
Protein 15 g. (full-sized)

This stir-fry includes many different healthy ingredients including green beans, noodles, onions, carrots, cashew nuts, tamari, Shaoxing rice wine, agave, garlic, sesame oil, olive oil, cornstarch, ginger, salt, red pepper flakes. You can buy this delicious meal here!

Zesty Miso Broccoli Slaw

$5.95 lunch-size
$11.00 full size
Calories 166/oz.
Net Weight 3.5 oz.
Protein 15 g. (full-sized)

This Broccoli Slaw is a delicious and refreshing salad including ingredients such as broccoli, red cabbage, walnuts, orange juice, rice vinegar, scallions, agave syrup, sesame oil, miso, black sesame seeds, canola oil, salt, ginger and garlic. This meal is available here.

Triple Peanut Slaw

$5.95 lunch-size
$11.00 full size
Calories 178/oz.
Net Weight 3.2 oz.
Protein 21 g. (full-sized)

This slaw is packed with protein and many other nutrients because of ingredients such as cabbage, peanuts, bell peppers, carrots, red cabbage, peanut butter, rice vinegar, agave, scallions, olive oil, cilantro, sesame oil, ginger, salt, tamari and garlic. This calorie-rich meal is available here.

Coconut Rice and Cuban Black Beans

$5.95 lunch-size
$11.00 full size
Calories 129/oz.
Net Weight 5.2 oz
Protein 21 g. (full-sized)

This sautéed blend includes black beans, onions, rice, bell peppers, coconut milk, golden raisins, Poblano peppers, scallions, almonds, cilantro, salt, olive oil, garlic, cumin, Adobo seasoning, cinnamon, black pepper, and oregano. This meal is available to buy here.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Kale and Quinoa

$5.95 lunch-size
$11.00 full size
Calories 121/oz.
Net Weight 4.2 oz.
Protein 19 g. (full-sized)

This simple but delicious meal will have you full of energy for miles. It’s made up of sweet potato, kale, onion, quinoa, pumpkin seeds, canola oil, salt, garlic, lemon juice, and black pepper. This refreshing meal is available here.

Blueberry Banana Crunch

$4.75
Calories 120/oz.
Net Weight 3.5 oz.

This delicious fruit combo oatmeal mix is a great way to start your day on the trail. It includes a variety of ingredients such as gluten-free rolled oats, dried bananas, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, dried blueberries, black sesame seeds, agave syrup, hemp seeds, flaxseed, flaxseed meal, chia seeds, brown sugar, olive oil, salt, and cinnamon. You can find this meal for sale here.

There are also several other delicious meals available on websites such as Amazon. Following is a list of some of their best-selling meals.

Good-to-Go Herbed Mushroom

$10.00 single serving
$14.25 double serving
Gluten-free and vegan
Dehydrated, which makes it very lightweight

The Good-to-Go brand is known for making delicious meals that are handmade and packaged in Maine, USA. These are delicious meal packs for backpacking, and there are many flavors. The Herbed Mushroom is Amazon’s choice for vegetarian backpacking food. You can purchase it here.

Mountain House Pasta Primavera

$8.50 pouch
Freeze-dried which makes for a very lightweight meal
Extremely quick prep (10 minutes)
The incredible shelf life of 30+ years

Mountain House Pasta Primavera is highly rated on Amazon and is one of their top choices for vegetarian backpackers. This meal includes ingredients such as zucchini, spiral macaroni, cauliflower, broccoli, red & yellow peppers, and green beans in a creamy, and parmesan cheese sauce. You can find this delicious meal here.

Backpacker’s Pantry Three Sisters Stew

$8.99 pouch
410 calories per servings
6 oz
14 g of protein
Gluten-free and vegan

Backpacker’s Pantry is a great company to purchase backpacking food from, as they actually donate 1% of their sales to nonprofit organizations that vow to protect the environment. Plus, their food is absolutely delicious which is a major bonus. This meal is full of everything you’d need to sustain yourself such as corn, beans, squash, quinoa, and brown rice. You can purchase this meal here.

Homemade

Homemade recipes are great to take on the trail! The following recipes from Trail Recipes are truly phenomenal. The following are some of the best vegetarian recipes that pack in the calories and keep the weight of the food down. With the following recipes, I’ll include a short summary of their nutritional value so you can easily compare your favorite recipes.

Three Mushroom Risotto

Calories – 669
Weight - 147 gr/5.2 oz
Protein - 25.7 g.

You can find the recipe here.

Apple Cinnamon Barley Cereal

Calories -382
Weight 87 gr/3.1oz
Protein 5.9 g

Click here for the recipe.

Apricot Pistachio Salami

Calories -126
Weight8 94 g/ 3.1 oz
Protein 4.3 g

Click here for the recipe.

Baked Apples with Vanilla Sauce

Calories 255
Weight 212 gr/7.5 oz
Protein 3g

Follow this link to the recipe.

Banana Chips

Calories 115
Weight 33 gr/1.2 oz
Protein 1.3 g

Find out how to make these delicious banana chips here.

Basil Polenta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Calories 419
Weight 96 gr/3.4 oz
Protein 12.7 g

This recipe is available here.

Chickpea and Spinach Curry

Calories 698
Weight 100gr/3.5 oz
Protein 19.9 g

Follow this link to the recipe.

Crunch Peanut Butter Oatmeal

Calories 348
Weight 74 gr/2.6 oz
Protein 13.5 g

The recipe is available here.

Fruity Dream

Calories 480
Weight 80 gr/2.8 oz
Protein 8.1g

This delicious homemade recipe is available here.

Mujadara: Lebanese Lentil Stew

Calories 286
Weight 102 gr/3.6 oz
Protein 9.8g

This stew recipe is available here.

Pumpkin Chia Overnight Oats

Calories 324
Weight 70 gr/2.5 oz
Protein 16g

Follow this link to get this recipe.

Strawberry Almond Oatmeal

Calorie 420
Protein 14.5 g
Can mix any fruit you like

Learn how to make this oatmeal here.

Snacks

Snacks are also an incredibly important thing to plan during your trip. It’s essential to have those high-protein snacks to help boost your energy mid-day. Many sights will suggest jerky as a snack suggestion. But there are many non-meat options. Following are some tried and true snacks you can pack to give you a boost.

Trail Mix
Vegetarian Energy Bars
Sprouts
Sundried Tomatoes
Dehydrated fruit
Primal Strips vegan jerky
Larabar energy bars

How to Stay Nourished

Sometimes it can be hard to make up for the nutrients lost by not eating meat. But there are some simple things you can add to your diet to make sure you’re staying nourished and healthy.

Protein

Lastly, I want to leave you with some tips about how to get enough protein without meat in general, but especially while backpacking. The first tip is to make nuts a part of your daily diet. Nuts of all kinds pack a lot of protein, but especially peanuts. Because of this, peanut butter is also an incredible condiment you can add to many of your snacks and meals. (Who doesn’t like apples and peanut butter?) You can also even add protein pills to your diet. This is an easy way to supplement your diet on the trail.

Iron

Especially on the trail, it can be a great idea to add extra iron to your diet because this increases the amount of oxygen in your blood. This will keep you energized for much longer than if you’re low on iron. You can add iron to your diet in many ways but some of the best are beans, lentils, cashews, spinach, and whole-grain bread.